Health ministry says no risk of hantavirus infection in Belarus

May 13, Pozirk. Belarus’ health ministry has ruled out the risk of hantavirus infection in the country, stressing that neither Europe nor Asia is a distribution area for long-tailed pygmy rice rat, which spreads the Andes virus.

The ministry reassured the public that it follows closely the outbreak at MV Hondius cruise ship.

The ministry pointed out that human-to-human transmission human-to-human transmission occurs in rare cases involving very close, prolonged contact with an infected person.

In early April, the MV Hondius cruise ship sailed off the Argentinian Tierra del Fuego region destined for Cape Verde on the coast of West Africa. During the month that ensued, passengers began to exhibit signs of severe respiratory illness, which claimed the lives of three of the nearly 150 people onboard.

In May, the World Health Organization confirmed a hantavirus outbreak on the ship. As of May 12, 11 cases of the disease have been reported, with nine confirmed as hantavirus infections by testing; the other two are suspected cases.

Even though hantavirus infections can be deadly, reported cases are rare.